Having Thursday off work to go crucian fishing for the day, I was quite taken aback when Corrinna told me I could fish after work on Wednesday. I asked no questions, just said thanks and planned where to go.
Tithe Barn seemed a good bet, it was warm still, mid-week so not many folk would be around, and is just around the corner from work meaning I could get there just after 4pm. That I did, and found I was the only one on the venue.
With minimal kit to aid travelling, the idea was to tour each of the three lakes over and over until I found an opportunity. The first pool looked very quiet, one carp was swirling amongst the surface weed but as soon as I baited the hook and lined up the cast it was gone. I cast at a few carp on the middle pool too, but the casts landed too close and the fish seemed on edge and sunk out of sight.
The first real opportunity came on the top lake; I spotted a carp in a small gap in the weed around 30 yards out. Attached a crust, dipped it to add weight and cast straight and true and over the fish’s head. I drew it back without spooking the carp and in a few seconds I watched as the crust went and the line started snaking, struck and missed!
Thinking back I added an extra large piece of crust so that it’d fly far enough, so perhaps I should have waited a few seconds longer before striking. Anyhow, I was soon gathering my things and off looking for the next opportunity. Back on the middle pool, I saw a few carp cruise through the channels in the weed not too far out in front. I decided to stay put for a while, cast out a crust where I thought the carp might cruise and wait.
I threw a few free offerings out, and soon realised why I never usually fish this way. One by one the freebies went down, until the only one left standing was my hook-bait. Typical. Another long cast saw my crust land close to the island, I’ve never got that close before, and I just knew it would be taken as there were fish all over me, but ten minutes later the rudd had whittled the bait down to nothing.
With the sky beginning to get dusky I visited the bottom pool for the last time on the way back to the car. In the second swim I checked I spotted a carp nudging the weed just in front of the front board, I crept in quietly, attached a small crust, dipped it and swung it out. The carp never spooked, in fact, he was climbing over the weed to get to it. Soon enough the crust disappeared, the line started trailing off after it and I was connected with a last gasp carp.
By keeping the fish moving it’s really not difficult landing carp in thick weed, just so long as you do keep them moving, otherwise they’ll get stuck solid and its game over. So by switching the angle of pull from left to right if the fish did start to get heavily bogged down, soon enough I was netting a lovely mirror carp and taking a few self shots with the camera.
Soon after releasing the fish I broke the rod down, munched on a few pieces of crust myself and just sat watching the water with no inkling to cast again whatsoever. I was just happy watching the sky darken until it was time to say goodbye to the robins and head for home.
Tithe Barn seemed a good bet, it was warm still, mid-week so not many folk would be around, and is just around the corner from work meaning I could get there just after 4pm. That I did, and found I was the only one on the venue.
With minimal kit to aid travelling, the idea was to tour each of the three lakes over and over until I found an opportunity. The first pool looked very quiet, one carp was swirling amongst the surface weed but as soon as I baited the hook and lined up the cast it was gone. I cast at a few carp on the middle pool too, but the casts landed too close and the fish seemed on edge and sunk out of sight.
The first real opportunity came on the top lake; I spotted a carp in a small gap in the weed around 30 yards out. Attached a crust, dipped it to add weight and cast straight and true and over the fish’s head. I drew it back without spooking the carp and in a few seconds I watched as the crust went and the line started snaking, struck and missed!
Thinking back I added an extra large piece of crust so that it’d fly far enough, so perhaps I should have waited a few seconds longer before striking. Anyhow, I was soon gathering my things and off looking for the next opportunity. Back on the middle pool, I saw a few carp cruise through the channels in the weed not too far out in front. I decided to stay put for a while, cast out a crust where I thought the carp might cruise and wait.
I threw a few free offerings out, and soon realised why I never usually fish this way. One by one the freebies went down, until the only one left standing was my hook-bait. Typical. Another long cast saw my crust land close to the island, I’ve never got that close before, and I just knew it would be taken as there were fish all over me, but ten minutes later the rudd had whittled the bait down to nothing.
With the sky beginning to get dusky I visited the bottom pool for the last time on the way back to the car. In the second swim I checked I spotted a carp nudging the weed just in front of the front board, I crept in quietly, attached a small crust, dipped it and swung it out. The carp never spooked, in fact, he was climbing over the weed to get to it. Soon enough the crust disappeared, the line started trailing off after it and I was connected with a last gasp carp.
By keeping the fish moving it’s really not difficult landing carp in thick weed, just so long as you do keep them moving, otherwise they’ll get stuck solid and its game over. So by switching the angle of pull from left to right if the fish did start to get heavily bogged down, soon enough I was netting a lovely mirror carp and taking a few self shots with the camera.
Soon after releasing the fish I broke the rod down, munched on a few pieces of crust myself and just sat watching the water with no inkling to cast again whatsoever. I was just happy watching the sky darken until it was time to say goodbye to the robins and head for home.
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